the biggest issues get a human voice face to face with the news makers. in the. strikes from above in libya as a multinational force launches an aerial offensive against gadhafi forces with dozens reported killed. as binns national community steps up if it's just stopping production in full says the libyan leader was handing out weapons to his nation to defend itself and points even in the capital city of tripoli join me in a few moments formal. mosco calls for an end to what it turns an indiscriminate use of force by foreign policy in libya and calls for military action to remain within the parameters of the u.n. resolution. and america says its role in the military intervention in libya will

be a limited one but that's not stopping comparisons to the lead up to the iraq invasion in two thousand and three. it's five pm in moscow i match reza good to have you with us here on r t our top story america says u.s. and allied forces have now effectively established a no fly zone over libya and halted an offensive by colonel moammar gadhafi forces against rebels in benghazi but the libyan leader is promising a long war against foreign forces he claims he's opened up weapons depots for anyone who wants to arm themselves or his policy or joins us live from the capital tripoli with more hello paula so the coalition says its efforts in libya are proving successful but we're also hearing reports that violence against the rebel population continues in the country what are you here. will be on camera pulls off

a new set off being carried out on the ground we will see can we pull to the ministry planes are being loaded with weapons and american bases in the city and that pushes planes on the way to libya now the american army has come through and that it dropped some thirty complaints. the bombs from b. two stealth bombers not yet clear what was the exact target of those bombs but certainly amongst them was the libyan air fields we're also being told that western put coniston satellites out firmly keeping an eye on the southern part of the city of set where there are ten tons of mustard gas now the american army has said that the first phase of this operation is complete it says it is well satisfied that a no fly zone is firmly in place that there hasn't been any libyan helicopters or aircraft in the skies indeed that there hasn't even been an attempt to take them out into the skies at this stage there are five countries that are involved the united states britain france canada and it's to be the united states remains at the

helm it's the focus at the moment is to completely destroy all surface to air missile defense systems belonging to the gadhafi regime and at that stage it will hand over the reins of power to the coalition forces we are hearing reports that on the ground i'll behave the clashes intense shelling in the city of misrata which is some two hundred kilometers to the east of the capital tripoli this fighting has been ongoing for at least three days now now it's impossible for us to independently verify this we've been trying to reach the city for move in two weeks but it isn't clamped down government forces have prevented any kind of movement in and out but i would this is on the ground are saying one thing that a massacre was on the boat that government tanks are in the same two of the town and that they completely demolishing it we are also hearing from state television that the number of civilians who have been killed in these waste and is strikes has not increased from forty nine to sixty four and a hundred and fifty people the main engine some of the questions that are being

asked here on the ground are number one why is the fighting in misrata being able to continue why is there not more focus by the international community in terms of what is happening there and also the growing tally of civilian deaths how many more people are going to have to die if the situation here comes to an end very very defiant sounding tone from colonel gadhafi who tells what he said so far. well this he gave integrates on libyan state television and it'll have to midday local time he spoke for about fifteen minutes it wasn't actually his face that we saw the draw of of the image of a gold dust that was crushing an american fighter jets his tone was incredibly defiant incredibly angry he urged the libyans to disband insults of me understanding that he will be opening we houses to make ammunition and guns and weapons available to disobedient population and that is many as one million libyans could very soon be arming themselves he also says that this was an act of terrorism

to quote him he stated we will not leave we will stay and liberate our country now we will see hearing from the taliban as can be expected they have to examine the international reaction to what is happening here in libya they have urged the islamic world not to remain neutral that's a step up and do something. right and. what the latest from tripoli thanks for that update. we can now go to our europe correspondent daniel bushell who's following the developments as nato thrushes out its plans for libya at a meeting in brussels hello daniel so what can we expect from nato. well as you say it's we're in day two or two of the nato meeting here in brussels and the first decision yesterday made was to enforce a no fly zone over libya airspace the next is to prevent the use of radar and air defenses by colonel gadhafi regime and then to stop the eastward advance of gadhafi into the rebel strongholds now this is where the group problems begin because of course colonel gadhafi does not have to just use he can also use ground troops and

that risks the escalation all of a war that is really on all fronts something that really america with this iraq experience doesn't want to get into and only now are they discussing about putting humanitarian issues first of course this was the key idea behind the u.n. resolution authorizing the no fly zone but only now are they talking about humanitarian issues first and that is the reason why there's growing concern here in the e.u. today there was a demonstration and she will demonstration just outside this building really the first signs that public opinion is turning against this war effort in what is seen as really cynical and double standards from both sides as the e.u. sides come together italy is offering its air bases or the countries like belgium here midlands and norway a rule so saying they will take part but there is ambivalence there all splits appearing in the range germany abstained from the u.n. vote authorizing a no fly zone in later came out the chancellor angela merkel said that she does

support military intervention it's just that germany won't be sending any forces but you get a sign here of the growing devoid within the european community over this military intervention right now the latest from europe from our genes daniel bushell thank you for that. whereas other uprisings in the arab world saw are people taking the lead that no longer seems the option in libya he hartman snow or war correspondent and former u.n. investigator thinks the libyan people have been cheated out of their revolution and will be crushed by a western led war machine. it's an absolute you know aggressive action by the western powers by the nato forces it's about arm sales and it's about making sure that there's no popular uprising in libya or across the region this is really a very manipulated so called conflict people of libya are going to suffer the most and it won't be very long once they get done with get out and before the people realize this they have no control over their country because the united states and

france and italy and britain have and again we may be over quickly it may not but in the end the united states and nato with their military might will prevail one way or the other cross any popular uprising which they've already partially done by letting conducting roll over those rebels forces for a while that was a tactic by the united states and they can get gadhafi to kill some of those people and then we can justify attacking him this is the extent of his hypocrisy by the west is so they. moscow has called on the coalition forces to refrain from using indiscriminate force in libya let's get more more details on this marquees pier all of our outside the russian foreign ministry hello peter tell us about this latest statement from the minister. of the russian foreign ministry is saying that it's unacceptable to use military force for anything the protection of civilians it as you said it's the use of industry when it force its slum the use of new

indiscriminate force very critical of that now we are hearing from libyan television dozens of being killed in these airstrikes and the. navy ships in the mediterranean schools according to those reports also hearing. on military targets may have kenya hits now the russian side has always been opposed to foreign military intervention in libya sit very since basically the the outset civil unrest in the country around a month ago they've been pushing more towards broaching a dialogue to bring forth a ceasefire in the country and there is still remaining all not topic to say that these two sides the the rebels and the the the forces should be to be a tool under the the attacks from this coalition forces these american led attacks

these american british and french led attacks on. the should also be halted and they should remain within the mandate over that u.n. resolution now there has been some people in russia that have voiced concern over the fact that the the u.n. resolution isn't being nice he had to know one of those people is he the head of the foreign affairs committee of russia's parliamentary house and he noted the u.n. resolution says nothing in it raise the regime change. actually had a resolution the number one thousand nine hundred seventy three its main goal was to defend the civilian population but not to punish the gadhafi regime or overthrow it so in that respect with think that one thousand nine hundred seventy three resolution is mostly cumana tarried resolution palaces so to speak from humanitarian resolution then a full militarism lucian my personal concern is that any military operation

which he's conducted by the west in the arab world can lead to a very unpredictable scenario like hold the parties involved in the conflict and they get together and start fighting against foreign invaders there were several examples all such scenarios and a history of the greater middle east so i think that we all have to be very cautious now and we all have to think first of all of that they believe to be a solution should go before of a military solution we think that if a duffel regime has already lost its internal and international credibility but we think also that people of libya should sell solve their problems themselves. now russia's foreign minister is on a visit to north africa at the moment how long a shadow will libya cast over the talks that. yes that's right. is in the region visiting egypt and then algeria he's there to discuss by lot chil talks

between russia and those two countries however both of those nations have pulled to libya because the all eyes will be facing the neighbors to the to the west and to the east respectively of egypt and algeria know this because it's going to be a big topic of discussion for missed a lot of all his visits to that region and all eyes will be looking on what comes out on what makes the level of gains from being in the area at the time. right art and peter all there with all the latest in the foreign ministry thanks for that update. u.s. cruise missiles are at the leading edge of coalition operations in libya despite president obama promising the u.s. role would be limited he also promised no american ground forces would be deployed though some are already pointed to several road similarities with the invasion of iraq in two thousand and three or he's got a cheeky on has the latest from washington. the pentagon says air defenses have

been a severely disabled as they put it the u.s. has launched a missiles from its war ships and submarines in the mediterranean targeting it cannot use air defenses and has the pentagon says the goal is to shape the battlefield for the coalition forces to take further action basically what they're doing is they're clearing and this guy is so that he is not able to shoot down any planes over coalition forces in the pentagon also says that this is just the beginning of the operation and in the coming few days more nato ships will converge on a levy to enforce naval blockade and earlier french of fighter jets had carried out strikes on these ground forces and there have been reports of civilian casualties caused by the attack some really alarming reports where president obama also reiterated is that there will be no u.s. troops on the ground although there are still a lot of questions as to the limits of this intervention will it be enough for the

coalition forces to try to just this arm could be or will they go beyond that call and what will be the outcome those are the questions everybody is asking and the fears are that this operation could be something more than just an effort to protect a civilian civilian as the wording of the u.n. resolution which was passed on thursday is basically all inclusive short of occupation of course and the fears are that certain actions taken by international forces could destabilize the situation even more shooting down his five evolvers and attacking other other military assets is one thing but fighting arming the rebels for example is something very different and we are getting reports that age of the military is shipping arms over the border to levy and rebels and they just know that phrase we know is very well influenced by washington and reports so it's not just the cut off the army versus coalition forces this was the fear is that this would turn into a fool. civil war and the arms supplies could inflame the situation even further

diplomatically stating the white house has been trying very hard to not to appear as the driving force behind this military actions but they also stress again and again that it is not just the western powers going to war in libya they stress that they have the support of the arab league over up to this point it is not really clear what the actual input of the arab countries is and this action but what they what they need and very much want is the arab countries assistance so that it doesn't appear as the west cracking down on yet another arab state a massive show of force in libya comes with the backing of the u.n. with a stated aim of protecting civilians but anti-war activist younes wanger believes it's more about saving oil supplies than people. think behind this operation there's already. a lot of. it's probably too late for

a large intervention will cover the oil fields or that actually to strategic points i think the goal is anything but humanitarian it's a standoff situation maybe. they have to divide the country and probably. also the united states enormous great britain and france are going to go sharing with. you a new government in the libya but. they're also they're in a great chance of a civil war situation because. i think the russians. to back up and just see what's what's unfolding out what's unfolding now appears to be. a large scale military operation as we've seen in recent wars. coalition forces trust their mission in libya is strictly humanitarian

plod monique a very european strategic intelligence and security center believes that that's what they should limit the operation to we have to focus on one thing the operation then. the question of what will happen in libya after all this is clearly the problem of the league and it's a problem of a nation i consider this a problem of the leadership of the leadership of the big as you can see if i tell you we don't know what is the real political leadership of the been busy concede it's extremely possible asleep go to treat us you know it is probably possible but actually in the lead in the influence of the benghazi consider just apply in the eastern part of libya and not in syria tripoli or do this on but so clearly defeat to australia will be complicated but for the moment to point to two defeats is the posting mr after the country twenty when the first who settled on

probably everything will depend of the support of the arab countries if a deal of the day we are alone in the western bloc the so-called wisdom block in libya with any arab support it would be very difficult to explain the situation but if we can think we will be we have do we still having the support of contrary opinion on too many casualties i think biffin could be good. so here's a reminder of our latest developments in libya washington says u.s. and allied forces have effectively established a no fly zone over the country halting the advance of market off these forces against rebels in benghazi the u.s. france and britain targeted the libyan leader's forces with air strikes and dozens of cruise missiles the operation followed a summit in paris where twenty two nations agreed to do everything necessary to make an offer you respect the u.n. security council resolution demanding a cease fire in libya in return can often without

a long war against the international coalition as now promised to arm his people by opening up weapons depots libyan t.v. quoted the armed forces command as saying forty eight people have been killed a hundred fifty wounded in the allied assault the campaign marks the biggest military intervention in the arab world since the invasion of iraq eight years ago . you can stand today with events on that we're covering unfolding in libya on our twitter update our twitter feed and facebook pages check out our regular updates with all the links to the latest videos.

the official. from the top story. on the. video. girls. are in a sense in the palm of your. on the. today in japan and at the fukushima nuclear plant crews have managed to attach power cables to two of the damaged reactors could be an important breakthrough in efforts to prevent a catastrophe at that tsunami hit facility artie's ivor bennett has the latest. even though they have attached power cables to two reactors reactors one and two there's no guarantee that the cooling systems will actually work because they fear the electronics inside those cooling ponds and they have been damaged in the earth and all the ensuing explosions at those reactors and so what they're doing is not

just turning on extras tea just yet because they feel if they do it could mouth function even more in the pumps and they so that in very wary of for starting a power supposed because they really need those plants to work and that's the only realistic way they're going to get the situation under control and the temperatures inside the reactor is that what they're doing in the meantime they're still spraying water into the reactors so go either partment thirteen hours straight two thousand tons of all of the interaction number three but there's only so much that can do because already this evening we've heard that pressure inside reactor number three is increasing again so they're going to have venting which means a controlled release of steam but with that release of steam is the escaper really yet radioactive substances as well now as for the radiation in the regions around fukushima we now know that there have been traces the radioactive substances radioactive iodine in fact found in the water systems in and made by neighboring prefectures including in tokyo even says traces of radioactive iodine it's not

considered harmful if ingested just yet but what's more wiring is that it's there it wasn't never thought this disaster happened in fukushima the radiation levels inside the water are considered to be harmful what's more it's also spread to food products from the region to taiwan has just reported that some imported farther beans from japan do contain trace the radiation as well so it's a bit of a wind development there and that the anxiety now as they're going this radiation is now spreading to anger on the streets because today five hundred antinuclear protesters joined a demonstration and your antiwar demonstrations in tokyo demonstrating against you can. they're holding blackguards calling for the end of nuclear power in japan they're unlikely to have that demand met but the fukushima plant once the situation is under control will certainly be closed because it's been rendered useless now telling us that the spring of washing cycle react it's a rescue operation is still ongoing but it's more of a salvage operation

a search operation now because they know obviously the chances of finding people alive are pretty slim that a nine days. in a tsunami struck having said that they had what's being dubbed a miracle today an eighty year old woman and a sixteen year old boy were found alive amongst the rubble in a town in the me at each prefecture called ishinomaki which was one of the worst hit areas so at least two people have been found alive in gov the miracle because normally with these sort of things the social rescue operations following natural disasters like earth both this incident after seventy two hours pretty unlikely to find the life five percent survival rate after ninety six hours these people survive for more than double that amount and that was even unseasonably wintry conditions and he said. the death toll has been steadily rising it's now eight thousand one hundred thirty three and the number of missing is still over twelve thousand. why did your pan fell to predict the sheer size of the most powerful earthquake in its history before it happened r.t.

put that question to you again erosion from the physics of the earth the instant it . was several negative factors coincided first the japanese are perhaps best equipped in the world against earthquakes is their living on a continuous seismic. they predicted an earthquake but nobody expected the magnitude which is unique normally not new to the ages who are caused the difference between eight and nine is a logarithmic scale each digit increment means a ten time increase of energy so you played a mean joke with them before the eleventh march quake a quake on the ninth of march in the same zone was considerably weaker only seven point seven which is still big. they decided the forecast had been fulfilled and they relaxed a much stronger quake occurred soon afterwards we'll. find out what other devastating surprises nature could have up its sleeve in the years

ahead the full interview with coming up in about an hour here on r.t. . and if you minutes we'll take a look at how sports plays a bigger game in shaping the aspects of u.s. politics and society stay with us.

sports is political in ways we don't often even notice especially on the level of culture where our ideas and attitudes as a society are shaped. the ties between professional football and the u.s. military have existed since the start of the n.f.l. back in one thousand one eight that relationship meant slaves during world war two and today that dynasty is stronger than ever and won't be insensitive to kill old he'll kill kill them ten you're killin it going to be history has taught us that sports never just something that we just sit back and smile at sports always had an important social function in the history of american sports is no different.

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